Spain Skips Major US-Morocco Military Exercise ’African Lion’ for Second Year

Rabat and Washington are busy organizing the successful 20th edition of these military exercises, which will take place in Morocco from May 20 to 31. Several meetings are being held in Agadir between representatives of the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces and delegations from partner countries to define the strategies and activities related to these exercises, which each year involve more than 10,000 soldiers from Arab, African and about 20 observer countries.

This 20th edition of African Lion promises to be "exceptional" due to the participation of the armies of the United Kingdom, Brazil, France, Italy, the Netherlands, etc. Spain, a neighboring and ally of Morocco, will again be absent from these military maneuvers aimed at improving interoperability between countries. According to El Debate, Spain does not want to send troops to Morocco to participate in the African Lion military exercises, part of which will take place near the border with Algeria. This, in order to avoid an exacerbation of diplomatic tensions with this country.

Spanish-Algerian relations have been tense for more than two years, after Pedro Sanchez declared his support for the Moroccan autonomy plan for the Sahara, which he considers the "most serious, realistic and credible" solution to the conflict. A position that had irritated Algeria, the main supporter of the Polisario Front. The appointment of a new Algerian ambassador to Madrid, a post that has remained vacant for years, had suggested an easing of tensions. But Sanchez’s visit to Rabat in February last year exacerbated the situation.

African Lion 2024 will include field training exercises, a central command exercise, a live-fire demonstration, and humanitarian assistance exercises. In addition, the humanitarian civil assistance missions will include a mix of emergency medical assistance.